Diversity of cyanobacterial hydrogenases, a molecular approach

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2000

Authors

Tamagnini, P (Author) FCUP; Costa, JL (Author) Other; Almeida, L (Author) Other; Oliveira, MJ (Author) Other; Salema, R (Author) Other; Lindblad, P (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Current Microbiology

Vol. 40

Pages: 356-361

ISSN: 0343-8651

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 61 Citations

Scopus - 70 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-ZT7

DOI: 10.1007/s002840010070

Abstract (EN): In an effort to elucidate the diversity of cyanobacterial hydrogenases, we used a molecular approach. Filamentous strains from a broad range of sources were screened for the presence of hup (uptake hydrogenase), xisC (rearrangement within hupL), and hox (bidirectional hydrogenase) genes. As expected, an uptake hydrogenase seems to be present in all N-2-fixing cyanobacteria. On the other hand, no evidence was found for the presence of a conventional bidirectional enzyme in several strains. Similarly, the presence of xisC is not a characteristic shared by all the heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. Although tempting, it is not possible to establish a correlation between the presence/absence of the bidirectional hydrogenase and the occurrence of xisC. Thr natural molecular variation of hydrogenases in cyanobacteria is certainly a field to explore, both to understand the physiological functions of the respective enzymes and to identify a genetic background to be used when constructing a strain for photobiological H-2 production in a bioreactor.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6